Since Emperor Ashoka built it in the 3rd century BC, the Great Stupa at Sanchi has been the focal point of Buddhist beliefs in the region. The great edifice, which sits on a hill and is surrounded by the ruins of lesser stupas, monasteries, and temples created as the religious community evolved in the centuries after the site was founded, still evokes awe today.

The original Ashokan stupa, despite its remarkable grandeur today, was about half the size and made of huge bricks and mud mortar. It was thought to have raised terraces at the bottom, a wooden railing around it, and a stone canopy atop it. During the Sunga period, which began roughly 50 years after Ashoka's death, the stupa was extended with local sandstone. In the 1st century BC, the ornately carved gateways were constructed.

The stupa's main body represents the cosmic mountain. It has a 'harmika' on top to carry the triple umbrella, or 'chhatraveli,' which represents the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha in Buddhism. Stairs lead up to the high circular terrace against the stupa's base, which is designed to allow worshippers to stroll around the stupa. Another procession path, flanked by stone balustrades, may be found on the ground level.

The four cardinal points' entrances are the structure's highlights, with a series of exquisite carvings depicting Buddhist symbols as well as key historical and religious episodes. Surprisingly, Buddha is always depicted as a symbol rather than a human in these carvings. He is shown as a horse without a rider, an umbrella above an empty throne, the Bodhi tree, or footprints on the doorways.

An figure of Buddha in human form seated under a pillared canopy may be found at each of the gateway entrances. They were added to the site considerably later than the rest of the stupa's ornamentation, in the 5th century AD, while the worship remained here. It's yet another example of Emperor Ashoka's love to the city of Sanchi.